“Romance (books) don’t require much intellectual effort”
Sunday, February 10, 2008Posted in: Mills and Boon
According to Jamie Maclean, editor of Erotic Review, during a BBC interview talking about Mills and Boon’s big birthday.
I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean it the way it came out. He was actually there to say nice things about the genre, believe it or not.
Louise Allen, writer of the now infamous Virgin Slave, Barbarian King, along with Jamie Maclean, was also on the BBC this morning talking about this great mile stone.
The BBC presenter started out by reading out an excerpt of some historical romance novel, and I have to say, I found myself cringing as much as if he’d been reading the racy bits of a Lora Leigh book out loud.
It obviously wasn’t explicit, but I’m of the mind that romance books should not be read aloud, by anybody, let alone a sneering journalist.
Louise Allen came across very well, but she was very quick to make sure people knew that the excerpt that had been read aloud, wasn’t actually from one of her books. It may be just me, but I didn’t think she was overly pleased by the excerpt the BBC had chosen to read.
She talked about the misconception of romance books, saying that they had come a long way from the days of the bodice-rippers. (Funnily enough before they’d started talking, I bet TTG that somewhere in this interview, the words ‘Bodice-ripper’ and ‘misconception’ would be used.)
Jamie Maclean was questioned about whether or not he was surprised about how well erotic novels were selling, to which he said something like, the market was always there, it just needed a little prodding.
Anyway, had I been less non compos mentis, I would have noted down more of the pertinent comments, but quite honestly, I couldn’t be arsed.
It was a good spotlight though, and sneering journalists aside, it was nice to see romance books in the news.
Shiloh Walker
February 10
9:58 pm
If he didn’t mean it the way it sounded, then I bet he’s cringing when thinking back to it. :OP
I had a booksigning in Cincinnati, OH yesterday and somebody from a local paper was there interviewing the authors~the article got posted online and I have to say, I’m pleased. It was short, sweet, to the point… and not a negative thing said about romance.
Capo
February 10
10:56 pm
Hah. He probably has a hidden compartment in his bathroom, crammed full of bodice rippers. A good bet there’s a bottle of Wesson oil right kept there too.
Well not all men are as lacking in proper modesty as myself ๐
azteclady
February 10
11:33 pm
(those are THE cuttest kittens EVAH!!! awwwwwwww)
Shiloh Walker
February 10
11:55 pm
Karen, it might just be my browser, but for some reason, your blog is loading weird, with the posts all screwy.
azteclady
February 11
12:04 am
Shiloh, not just you–it didn’t for me just a minute ago, and then now it’s fine.
As for that interview… got a link? *winning smile*
Karen Scott
February 11
12:09 am
I looked for some reference of the interview on the BBC site, but I couldn’t find anything unfortunately AL.
Shiloh Walker
February 11
3:11 am
It’s all better now on my end, too.
And yes, I do.
http://tinyurl.com/25boej
Barbara B.
February 11
2:25 pm
Capo said-
“A good bet thereโs a bottle of Wesson oil right kept there too.”
What? Cooking oil? I’m gonna pretend I never read that!In the history of the world is there no lubricant or unguent that hasn’t been peen tested and peen approved?
hornblower
February 16
6:56 am
What’s ‘masurbate’ ???? I just want to be sure I’m not killing poor lil kittens…..
Um, and I can’t detect any feeds on your blog now. ๐